


Kisses in the Dark

by Kitsune_Moonstar



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: 30 Kisses Challenge, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-09
Updated: 2013-06-09
Packaged: 2017-12-14 11:37:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 18,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/836457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty stories for Tseng and Elena for the thirty kisses challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Time After Time

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list lambda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 27: Under the Moon.

**Time After Time**

Tonight was dinner, take eight. Elena was hoping they'd actually get halfway through the meal this time, but really, she didn't expect to be that lucky. Both she and Tseng seemed to have absolutely no luck at all when it came to any attempts for non-work related get togethers. The two of them had been attempting to have that dinner together for about a year now. The original plan (they had discussed it at the hospital after Meteor had been stopped) was for the two of them to go out for dinner and dancing. Needless to say, they hadn't actually met much success with that.

So tonight, Elena hadn't bothered to dress up. In fact, both of them were still in their work clothes. They'd gone directly from work to the restaurant the moment they had gotten off duty. So they might not look like a couple out on a date, but at least this time, nothing had interrupted them so far and they had actually managed to get to the main course. That was a record for the two of them.

Taking a bite of the steak she'd ordered, Elena smiled. Tseng arched an eyebrow at her.

"How is it?"

She giggled. "I'm not saying. It will jinx the date."

"Saying how your dinner tastes will jinx the date?"

His PHP rang.

"See?"

Tseng sighed but pulled the device out. "This is Tseng."

Two minutes later, the PHP was back in his pocket and he had risen to his feet and asked the waiter for their bill.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Elena just laughed and collected her jacket. They were both armed and ready for work. Still, at least they had gotten further through the evening this time.

"I'm beginning to think it's a lost cause," Elena sighed as they headed out the door.

He leaned in and kissed her. "Maybe we should just skip the first date and move on to other things?"

She shrugged as they stepped into the night; with the full moon hanging over them, it felt like they should be going home for dessert instead of out to deal with a problem. Still, Elena wasn't to complain. This skipping their dinner date idea had merit.

"I can work with that."


	2. At the End of the Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 3: Shoes.

**At the End of the Day**

Elena let out a deep sigh and slumped onto the couch, kicking off shoes rather viciously. Her feet ached. It had been a long day, and she was utterly exhausted. Thankfully, Tseng would not mind if she didn't bother to go home. His place was closer to work anyway, and Elena's feet hurt too much to even contemplate going anywhere at this point. She undid her tie and slid her jacket off. The days she had to wear heels at work were the worst. She could run and fight in heels, but it wasn't comfortable, and she paid for it at the end of the day. Elena wouldn't be up to dancing or anything that required her to be light on her feet for awhile.

Tseng reappeared in the living room dressed in a loose pair of pants and a t-shirt and carrying to mugs of tea. He frowned at her before handing her one of the mugs.

"Scoot over."

He sat down beside her and set his mug down on the coffee table. Tseng gently took her foot in his hands.

"You've been limping for the past hour. And wincing whenever you stood for the hour before that." He began gently rubbing her foot. "I threw the fuzzy socks you left here in the microwave. They'll be ready in a few minutes."

Elena let out a soft sigh. "Thanks."

"Drink your tea." The order was softened by his gentle tone. "We have tomorrow morning off."

"Mmm." Elena sipped her tea, closing her eyes.

Tseng disappeared for a few moments, but he returned with her warm socks. Between the warm socks and Tseng's foot massage, her aching feet began to feel better, and Elena began to relax. She had to admit she rather enjoyed these quiet moments at the end of the day with her boyfriend. It was nice not to come home to an empty apartment. And she enjoyed spending the time with Tseng even if she was currently dozing off. He got up, tucking a pillow beneath her feet and headed for the kitchen, probably to make dinner. But he stopped to kiss her on his way, and Elena couldn't help but thinking that the day hadn't been that bad after all.


	3. Haben Sie Gehört Das Deutsche Band

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 2: Polka.

**Haben Sie Gehört Das Deutsche Band**

Elena was not at all pleased about this assignment. It the missions like these that really made her feel out of place as the only female on the team. Reno would not find this nearly as amusing if he had to dress up as a Bavarian barmaid. The Turks needed to infiltrate Oktoberfest, and of course, Elena got stuck serving beer.

The costume itself was completely ridiculous. While it might have had a historical base at one point, the thing now looked like either something a waitress at a strip club wore or one of those stupid sexy Halloween costumes. This was why she hadn't left the bathroom yet. Elena was not ready to face Reno, Rude, and Tseng wearing this. She knew that she had to go out there sometime, but really, Elena wanted to put that off.

"Come on, Laney, get a move on."

With another sigh, Elena walked out of the bathroom. Reno whistled. Elena pulled out her gun. This was going to be a long mission.

That thought was confirmed when Elena actually got on the job. At least she didn't have to worry about the fumes affecting her like some of the other waitresses. But between her costume, the amount of drunken men around, and the fact that Elena knew she couldn't shoot anyone yet, she had absolutely no doubt that it was going to be a long mission. The sooner they were done with this assignment the better. Otherwise, there were going to be people with life threatening injuries, and she wasn't one of them.

At least she knew she had back up in the crowd. Rude was in the oompah band, and Reno was over flirting with some of the polka dancers. Elena wasn't sure where Tseng was, but she knew he was around. At least if she snapped and lost control, she knew that she wouldn't be able to do too much damage. Actually, the idea of snapping and killing all the drunken pigs was rather comforting. Elena wrinkled her nose. It was a very good thing that she was quick on her feet and used to dealing with Reno. If not, she would have been groped at least a dozen times.

In fact, Elena had needed to intervene several times in order to protect her fellow waitresses from being groped or fondled. Most of them seemed to quickly learn how to avoid trouble, but not all of them proved deft at that. Elena's biggest problem was the gaggle of men over in a far corner. They just couldn't seem to get the idea that Elena and the other girls were off limits. One of Elena's targets was also in the group. Which was the only reason she had volunteered to take that table.

Now if only she could find a way to get the little portable disk off the man. He kept playing with the thing, and Elena was really tempted to do something obvious to get it. But while the pigs might be drunk, they weren't drunk enough not to remember her yet. They were drunk enough to be more than a little obnoxious, and they clearly thought that Elena was a good target. She had already had them spill beer on her. She had managed to avoid getting it down her front, but her skirt was stained, and she was definitely going to need a long, hot shower to get the smell of beer off her.

Once the pigs had their latest round of beer, they put in an order for more beer as well as a plate of sausages and schnitzel. As Elena crossed the room on her way back to the bar, she caught sight of Tseng over by the door. She nodded slightly at him. It didn't take long for the order to get filled, and Elena had to head back to the dreaded table of jackasses. One hand clutching a pair of beer steins and the other carrying a tray of food, Elena approached. Their target smirked at her.

"Hey, baby, when do you get off work? I'll show you a real bratwurst."

Her grip on the beer steins tightened, but Elena ignored the comment. The idiot continued to leer at her. Elena shifted the tray in her hand so she could set it down and serve the group. She could actually see the disk they wanted out of the corner of her eye. As she bent over the table to serve, Elena felt the ghost of a hand on her backside. Whirling around with a snarl, Elena dumped the beer on the man. Tseng arched an eyebrow at her from across the room. Elena just shrugged.

"You dumped my beer on me!" the man accused.

Elena shrugged. "You touched my ass."

She turned on her heel and headed back to the main bar. The man in charge was already sputtering. Elena just handed him her tray with a smile.

"I quit."

It did not take long for her fellow Turks to find out her. With a smile, Elena pulled the disk out of her bodice and handed it over to Rude. Tseng nodded.

"Rude, you and Reno take that back to headquarters and make sure it has the data we need." Tseng turned to her and kissed her forehead. "Good work, Elena. I'll take you home, so you can go take a shower."


	4. Another One Bites the Dust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 13: Gown.

**Another One Bites the Dust**

Elena fluffed her hair with a vacant expression on her face. She glanced over at the knot of men in the corner with a coy smile. The men were drooling over her. That was the point of the gown she was wearing, but it still annoyed her a little. However, it was a small price to pay for such a good disguise. Most of the men here wouldn't remember her face at all. They might remember the color of her dress or what they thought her cup size was, but they wouldn't be able to give a proper description of her to anyone, and that was useful given she was here to kill someone tonight.

At least one man here looked her in the eye instead of at her chest. Then again, Tseng was her back up tonight. Once the deed was done, they would make a graceful exit, and no one would be the wiser about who had killed one Mr. Randolph Hart. She had already attracted the man's eye. Now she would just have to get him alone. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too hard. Getting up from her seat, Elena made her way across the ballroom.

She helped herself to another glass of Champaign and one of the miniature lemon tarts. As she nibbled at the sweet, Elena kept her eye out for the target.

"May I have this dance, my lady?"

Elena smiled prettily and let her target lead her out onto the dance floor. Over the course of two dances, she flirted and played coy with him until he suggested they take a walk out on the deserted balcony. They were quite a distance from the doors to the ballroom when Mr. Hart made his move. Elena smiled sweetly at him all the while reaching for the knife tucked down the back of her dress.

All it took was a direct stab to his heart to end the man. Elena tipped the body over the balcony rail before disposing of her gloves and knife in a nearby potted plant. Rude would be along to collect them before too long. Once Elena reappeared in the ballroom, Tseng quickly pulled her on to the dance floor. They shared one brief dance before her partner pulled her towards one of the many alcoves that lined the room. With a smile, he kissed her.

"Good job, Elena." Tseng began trailing kisses down her neck. "We can go home in about fifteen minutes."

Elena giggled slightly at the sensation and wove her fingers into his hair. Admittedly, it was an excuse to make out with her boyfriend, but when they left tonight, they would be remembered as "that couple that needed to get a room" instead of "that suspicious couple". It was very convenient, and it made for nice reward for a mission well done, so Elena wasn't about to complain.


	5. I Won't Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 14: Tuxedo.

**I Won't Dance**

Elena was in trouble, and she knew it. High school was definitely one of the most evil things in the world. Not only did she have to attend prom (her parents were forcing her to go), but she didn't have a date. Nor did she had a dress for that matter (Elena was putting off going shopping), but the date was the bigger issue. Elena did not want to go alone if she didn't have to. She was teased enough as it was. You would think the fact that her sister was a Turk would keep her classmates from harassing her too much, but since her sister seemed to enjoy that pastime as well, her classmates were not intimidated.

And Elena wasn't supposed to use any of the self defense she'd learned in school. It completely sucked, and the seventeen year old doubted that things were going to get any better. It definitely didn't help that she was stuck at the office of the Turks until her sister got off duty this evening. Kendal was out on a mission of course, and since Elena's home work was done, she had nothing to do. At this point, she was willing to volunteer to do paperwork for the Turks. That had to be more interesting that just sitting even if wasn't by much.

She soon found herself regretting her determination to something. Elena had stuttered her way through her request. Why had Tseng been the only one in the office this afternoon? Of all the Turks, the only one here was the one she had a crush on. Tseng was probably a couple years older than Kendal, and Elena doubted he was interested in high school girls. Unfortunately, that did not stop Elena from developing a crush on him. Not only was the man good looking, but he was also an extremely competent Turk. It also didn't hurt that he actually treated Elena with common courtesy. Of course, he was polite to just about everyone, so that didn't make Elena special.

Still, Elena didn't have much hope for him taking any interest in her, and it was embarrassing to blush and stutter through every conversation with him. She did have something to do now though, even if it was just filing. Organization was at least one thing Elena did well, and quite honestly, the Turks' paperwork was a mess. It took Elena nearly ten minutes to get the papers to the point where she could actually file them, and by then she had relaxed enough to hum under her breath as she worked.

"Well, if it isn't little Miss Elena. I've been looking for you."

She looked up from the filing cabinet to find Jason Carsten Jr. leering at her. His father worked in the R and D department at ShinRa, and he was a grade ahead of her. He also had a tendency for bullying girls into dating him then dropping them once he got what he wanted. Elena wouldn't go to prom with him if he was the last man on the planet.

"Can I help you? I am busy at the moment."

"You're going to prom with me."

Elena did not look up from the work she was doing, though she did bite back the urge to sigh. Of course this had to play out in front of her crush. "That wasn't a question, and I know I never agreed to that."

"It's not like you have any other offers, Elena. Of course, you could always go alone and let everyone know you're incapable of getting a date."

Elena didn't really want to do that, but it was better than going with Jason. She opened her mouth, but to her utter surprise, Tseng slid a possessive arm around her waist. "She's going with me."

Elena didn't know whether to be mortified or elated. Tseng had just said he was taking her to the prom. Maybe this was all a dream. That seemed more likely than anything else at this point. Jason opened his mouth to protest, and Tseng gave him a look. He closed his mouth.

"Fine. I can find another date."

Jason stalked out of the room. Tseng let go of her, and Elena turned to face him. He looked absolutely normal. Not drunk or crazy or anything that would explain why the man could suddenly claim to be taking her to a high school prom.

Elena blinked at him. "I'm sorry, but did you just agree to take me to the prom?

"I'll pick you up at seven." Tseng kissed her nose. "We'll ditch the party once we've been seen. I don't dance. Besides, you gave me a reason to actually be at the prom. We've been looking into if Carsten Jr. was taking prototypes out of the lab. If he was going to show something like that off, the prom is the likely place."

Okay, so it was a mission rather than an actual date. Elena could live with that. Besides, it would definitely be a more interesting than she had expected, and at the very least, Elena would get to see Tseng in a tuxedo. That would definitely be worth the hassle. Still, now she really did need to find a dress.


	6. Stay With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 17: Closer.

**Stay With Me**

Elena was terrified and trying not to show it. Sephiroth was gone now, and she didn't have to worry about someone stumbling across her, but that was part of the problem. If they had allies here, they could help her get Tseng to a proper medical facility. Elena had already sent out a distress call, but she despaired of any help reaching them quickly. Things had been too chaotic lately for that. So it was just the two of them for now.

And while Elena might have a knack for healing spells, she wasn't sure she could keep Tseng alive until help came. But she was going to try her damnedest too. She kept one of his hands clasp tightly in her own as she cast every single healing spell in her arsenal. Elena was thankful that she kept as many as possible handy. Tseng's wound was a bad one. Actually, Elena would almost claim it was a mortal one except she didn't even want to think about Tseng dying. But Sephiroth had done plenty of damage.

She kissed his forehead. "Stay with me. Please, Tseng. You asked me out on a date, remember? You're not going to back out on me, are you?"

He was unconscious, but talking to him was keeping her calm, so Elena kept doing it. Talking things out (even if it was just to herself) had always been her preferred method to deal with things from absorbing information to working out her nerves. It had gotten her in trouble a number of times, but it was still her default setting in a crisis. However, the sound of her own voice was better than silence, so she kept talking even as she kept casting the healing spells she had.

Exhaustion made her vision blur, and Elena shook her head to clear the sparks dancing before her eyes. She couldn't afford to give up now, no matter how tired she was. She squeezed Tseng's hand again. This time he squeezed her hand back. Glancing down, she found that his eyes were open. Elena managed a smile. She wasn't going to give up, and she wasn't going to let Tseng either.


	7. At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 22: Nighclub.

**At Last**

"Are you busy tonight, Elena?"

She looked up from her paperwork. "No, sir."

Tseng smiled. "Good. I'll pick you up at seven."

She smiled backed. "Fifth time's the charm then?"

"We can hope."

They had been trying to go out to dinner together for a year and a half. It had been one thing after another interrupted their date. In some ways, Elena still had trouble believing that Tseng had asked her out, but she definitely wasn't going to miss an opportunity to actually have their night out together.

"I'll be ready," she promised.

"I'll see you then."

Elena headed straight home once she got off duty. She wanted a hot shower and a chance to riffle through closet to find something to wear. She wasn't sure what was clean right now. Elena hadn't had a chance to do laundry in a week or so. Still, it wasn't like she was wearing any of her dresses to work, so there had to be something clean in her closet. And as it turned out, she was right. Her little black dress was both clean and ironed hanging in the back of the closet.

By the time Tseng arrived to pick her up, Elena was dressed and ready complete with matching purse and shoes. Her boss was wearing a suit, but he had ditched the tie.

He held out his arm to her. "Shall we?"

She took his arm with a smile.

Their destination turned out to be an upscale nightclub and restaurant. Tseng had a reservation, so they didn't have to wait long for a table. The menu is impressive, and Elena does her best to ignore the cost of the dishes when she picks out her meal. The food tasted delicious, and they managed not to talk about work for the most part. Tseng manages to talk her into trying the orange chocolate cheesecake despite her earlier determination to avoid dessert. When the meal is over, Elena's eyes drifted to the nightclub.

"Would you like to dance?" She grinned at her date. "It seems like a waste not to use the opportunity."

Elena wasn't quite sure she'd be able to convince Tseng to dance with her, but to her delight he links arms with her and leads her out to join the other dancers. Tseng might not be the best of dancers when it came to clubbing, but it was enough for Elena that she was here in his arms. After all, it had only taken them a year and half to get to a proper date. She supposed that technically they had been dating before now, but this was their first official date, and she was going to enjoy it.

As they swayed to a slower song half an hour later, Tseng e nuzzled her neck, pressing a quick kiss to her pulse. Elena just laughed. It was definitely time to take this date somewhere a bit more private.

"Shall we move this to some place quieter?" she asked.

"Are you inviting me to your place?" He teased. "I though you never took guys home on the first date. At least, that's what you told Reno."

She wrinkles her nose at him. "Well, if you're too dense to see that there are exceptions to every rule, I'll just-"

He cuts her off with a kiss, and Elena can't help but think that this is the nicest first date she's been on and well worth the wait.


	8. In the Mood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 21: Swing.

**In the Mood**

"Is there something wrong, sir?"

Normally, Elena wouldn't have asked, but her boss was looking a little desperate at the moment. She wasn't sure why, but given the paperwork on his desk, it probably had something to do with their latest mission.

"I don't suppose you know how to swing dance and would be able to infiltrate a swing dance club."

She blinked. Now that she could do. "Not a problem, sir. At least, not unless it's one of those that's full of senior citizens. I'm not sure I can pull that one off."

Tseng stared at her. "You swing dance."

Elena nodded. "I'm slightly rusty, but yes. Swing, classic ballroom, basic ballet, and most modern dances. My mother was rather fanatic about the lessons."

He let out a sigh. "The second question is can you teach someone else to swing dance as well? You'll need a partner."

She wrinkled her nose. "I can probably teach you or Rude. I don't think that Reno would be a good choice, and I rather doubt that he'd remember much of the steps."

Tseng nodded. "What will you need for lessons besides a stereo?"

"A room with a hard floor and plenty of space."

"I'll have things arranged and let you know the time and place."

Elena nodded and went back to her own work. This would be interesting.

* * *

Tseng had his concerns about this, but he was Elena's partner, and it made sense for him to go undercover with her. He found her waiting for him in the large room he'd rented for the lesson. The music that was playing was bright, cheerful, and fast, and Elena had forgone her usual suit for a knee length skirt and a short sleeved blouse. She looked more like a teenager than anything else.

Elena looked up from what she was doing with a smile.

"Hey. You're here. We might as well get started. I forgot to ask, do you know how to ballroom dance."

Tseng nodded.

"Good, this shouldn't be too difficult then. The basic dance you need to know is the Lindy Hop, and it uses an eight count structure." Elena held out her hands. "Come're and I'll show you."

Elena was a surprisingly good teacher as she walked him through the steps. This was not the type of dancing he was used to, but she was right that it was similar in some ways to ballroom dance. It didn't take long for Tseng to master the steps, and Elena quickly branched out to several other dances. Once she was sure he was proficient at a slower pace, Elena returned to the stereo to change the music.

"Let's see if we can manage this. It's about as fast as anything gets, so as long as we can dance to this, we should be fine."

The two of them whirled around the floor together, almost perfectly in sync. There might have been a misstep here or there, but nothing that really threw them off. They only stopped dancing when the music stopped, and Tseng found himself rather captivated by Elena's expression. She was slightly flushed from exertion, but her eyes sparkled and her smile was bright. With out thinking, he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you for the lesson, Elena."


	9. Your Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 30: Favorite Song.

**Your Song**

Reno had a tendency to get long winded when he was drunk, and he was clearly drunk at this point. She wasn't sure how they had gotten on to the topic, but Reno really seemed to be on a roll with it.

"See, what we really need both as a group and as individuals are theme songs. I mean, the Turks really need a theme song. What kind of kickass, awesome team doesn't have a theme song?"

Tseng raised an eyebrow at him. Reno took this as encouragement.

"The team's theme song should be Men in Black. That way we even have a nifty dance that goes with it. No, really. We all need theme songs. I mean some things are just obvious like Rude's being Sunglasses at Night, and mine is I'm Too Sexy of course. But what about Elena? Nothing that suits her just pops into mind."

Elena shared a look with Tseng, and then she quietly signaled the bartender to cut the redhead off.

"Of course, she could be Miss Murder or maybe The Girl All the Bad Guys Want, but neither of those really suits her properly. I'm mean I might be a hunk a hunk of burning love, but Elena's not exactly the sexiest thing around. Guys just don't flock to her."

"And they flock to you?" Elena muttered. Tseng pulled her a little closer.

"Now, we could always use Hit Me With Your Best Shot or Getcha Good, but again, neither of those really fit Elena. She's cute and she's dangerous, but she's not exactly what one would have considered a femme fatale either." Reno was staring at her now. "Maybe That Don't Impress Me Much would work?"

Tseng pressed a kiss to Elena's cheek. "Reno, you might want to quit while you are ahead. Elena hasn't shot you yet."

"See, this is why your theme song is Secret Agent Man. You're all about the job. I mean we all know that the only reason that you don't let her shoot me because then you'd have to do paperwork and find a temporary replacement for me."

"That's right," Rude muttered, "everyone appreciates it when Elena shoots you. You always deserve it."

Elena rolled her eyes. She had shot Reno twice in her time with the Turks. And both times he had deserved it.

"You know, Reno," she smirked, "I always thought your song was Pretty Fly for a White Guy. It really does suit you."

Reno attempted to lunge at her over the table. Since he was severely inebriated, he bounced off the table and fell on the floor. Elena just arched an eyebrow at him.

"See?"


	10. Moondance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 24: Bonfire.

**Moondance**

He could already hear the sound of the drums. The festival was beginning. The full moon was high in the sky, and he was looking forward to this evening. Tseng waited in the lobby of the inn for Elena to show up. The two of them were taking a well deserved vacation in Wutai, and it just happened to coincide with one of the major Wutain festivals. It had seemed like a pleasant enough way to spend an evening.

"Sorry that took so long," Elena's voice came from behind him. "It took me a while to figure out how to get into this thing."

Tseng turned to find her dressed in a pale green yukata patterned with bamboo shoots. The obi was a darker green, and she'd pulled her hair back into a short ponytail. Tseng smiled. Traditional Wutain costume suited Elena quite well. He held out a hand to her.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded and took his hand. The two of them headed out into the night. Elena seemed fascinated by everything as they meandered their way past all sorts of stalls selling food, souvenirs, or various games. Elena sampled a selection of Wutain sweets, and Tseng ended up trying his hand at several of the games. He hadn't played most of them since he was a child, but it was a little like riding a bicycle. He kept her hand in his as they meandered the stalls. It was nice to spend time with her like this without it being the cover for a mission.

The rows of stalls led towards the town's temple. A bonfire had been built up in the temple square, and there was a crowd gathered around it for the traditional dances that went with this festival. Technically, the festival was supposed to be a celebration of one's ancestors, but most people just used it as an excuse for a community party. Still, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Tseng drew Elena towards the bonfire. "Come dance with me, Elena."

She laughed and kissed him. "If you insist."

Tseng just spun her into the steps of the dance for an answer.


	11. That Don't Impress Me Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 10: Violin.

**That Don't Impress Me Much**

Elena frowned and her fingers stopped dancing over the keys of her computer. Technically she was only on desk duty right now, but she was seriously considering taking matters into her own hands. The idiot was distracting the staff from their work. The Turks had mysteriously gotten an administrative staff around the same time that Elena had gone on maternity leave. She actually spent most of her time these days managing that staff and dealing with paperwork. Tseng, Reno, and Rude had been rather overprotective ever since they found out she was pregnant.

She had expected that from Tseng. It was his child after all. What Elena hadn't expected was for Rude and Reno to go crazy over it as well. Unfortunately, for her, at the moment all three of them were out on missions which left Elena alone to deal with the idiot who was in their office currently. He kept flirting with and harassing the office staff. Mr. Carson Rhodes was a new addition to ShinRa, and he wasn't up to speed on a number of things. For one thing, the man though she was a sweet, innocent young woman.

Slowly rising to her feet, Elena made her way over to the man.

"Excuse me, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You are distracting my staff."

He smiled at her. "Now, sweetheart. I'm not bothering anyone. Am I girls?"

The two girls shot Elena desperate glances; they clearly didn't agree, but they also weren't sure if Rhodes could get them fired. It made her want to strangle the man with the violin he kept boasting he could play. Elena smiled sweetly at him.

"Your options are either leave or I'll make you leave."

The other thing about her pregnancy was that her hormones were slightly out of whack. The others in the office tread carefully around her anymore, mostly due to her mood swings. Reno claimed that Elena's pregnancy had made her more dangerous than before. Rhodes laughed.

"Now, now. Don't get upset. It's not good for you in your condition." The man actually patted her stomach proprietarily.

Two things happened then. Elena's hand snapped out and twisted her wrist until she heard bones crack. The door opened and Reno and Tseng walked in. Rhodes clutched his wrist and whimpered in pain. Reno swore. Tseng took one look at the situation and sighed. Elena smiled demurely at her husband, walked over, and kissed his cheek.

"I'm going to get some chocolate and a can of grape juice from the vending machine. The baby's giving me cravings again."

As she strode out of the room, she heard Reno ask, "So, did she leave us any bones left to break?"

Elena smiled. Her work here was done.


	12. Rescue Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 5: Dip.

**Rescue Me**

Elena was not at all amused. She had had been sitting here for forty-five minutes now. In that time she had been hit on thirty-eight times. It probably would have been more, but Elena had been glaring at everyone who approached her after the first ten minutes. As much as she enjoyed bars, having them as a meeting place could be problematic when she was waiting for the guys on her own after going undercover. She was tired, her feet hurt, and just because she was wearing a tank top and a short skirt didn't mean she was looking for a guy. Of course, most of the dips here at this bar couldn't figure that out.

"Hey, baby, let me buy you a drink."

Elena rolled her eyes. Well, that was original. For reply, she held up the drink in her hand. "I've already got one, thanks."

"But it's almost gone."

Her glass was actually more than half full. Elena turned to actually look at the man. He wasn't bad looking exactly with dark brown hair and green eyes, but she still wasn't interested. She smiled, showing her teeth. "I'm really not interested. Now go away before I hurt you."

He laughed at her. "Now don't play hard to get, sugar. We both know it's just a game."

Elena wished she had mace with her. Knocking back about a third of her drink, she considered whether she should break the man's wrist or his nose. If he tried to touch her, the wrist would definitely be an easier target to grasp, but there was something to be said about the dramatic effort of breaking a man's nose. Especially when it bled profusely. But really, she shouldn't get herself kicked out of the bar before the guys arrived, so Elena sipped her drink and tried not to kill anyone.

The man did not go away unfortunately. She was imagining breaking every bone in his hand one by one when the atmosphere around them changed. Elena smiled as she took in the fact that she'd basically been surrounded. The boys were a possessive presence around her, and it was clear that they were intimidating the guy hitting on her. Reno and Rude could have that effect on people. Still, he hadn't turned tail and run yet.

"Hey, the lady and I were talking."

Tseng simply arched an eyebrow at the man then came up along on Elena's other side. He tilted her chin up and kissed her, his tongue dancing against hers. When he released her lips, she was breathless. Then Tseng turn and growled at the man. He skedaddled very quickly. Tseng slung an arm around her waist and handed her a new drink.

"Sorry for the wait."


	13. Hanging By a Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 11: Score.

**Hanging By a Moment**

Elena had screwed up her courage, and she was going to do this. She was on ignoring all of Reno's advice on the subject, but she was going to ask Tseng out even if it killed her. Which it just well might. She was far more comfortable around all of the other Turks now. She would even consider Reno and Rude friends, but Tseng was a different case. Part of it was the crush she harbored. Part of it might be because technically he was her boss. Elena just always got tongue tied around him.

She was able to deal with him now during missions and on duty, but in any other capacity, Tseng still left her blushing and tongue-tied. It had gotten to the point where Elena had decided she either needed to see if a romantic relationship was possible between the two of them or destroy the crush completely. So she had decided she would ask Tseng out to dinner and see where things went from there. Of course, that meant she actually did have to ask him out, and Elena was having a little trouble with that.

To tell the truth, she had already chickened out at least three times. Smoothing her jacket and straightening her tie, Elena rose to her feet. She was going to actually do it this time. Despite the fact that the butterflies in her stomach were dancing the mambo. She made her way over to Tseng's desk.

"Excuse me, sir. Could I have a moment?"

Tseng smiled at her. "Sure, Elena."

He waited expectantly. Realizing that she was wringing her hands, Elena halted the movement before speaking. "I was wondering if-"

"Laney wants to get in your pants and isn't sure if you're actually interested. She's trying to score with you, dude," Reno cut her off.

Well, this really was embarrassing. Rage was a pleasant fizzling feeling beneath her skin. She smiled brightly at Tseng.

"Excuse me."

She was planning on killing Reno. Here, now, in front of everyone. Tseng caught her hand before she had made it away from his desk. Tseng smiled at her and kissed the back of her hand.

"Would you like to have dinner tonight, Elena? Say at eight or so."

She blinked then smiled. "That would be lovely."

Tseng let go her hand. "I'll pick you up. Don't main Reno too badly. He has an undercover mission in two days."

Elena laughed and turned to Reno, cracking her knuckles. "I think I can manage that."


	14. We Are the Champions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 9: Ballad.

**We Are the Champions**

Elena let out a happy giggle. She sipped at her drink with a content smile. It really was turning out to be a very nice night. It had been a long mission, and they were all glad it was over. Even Tseng had come along tonight to celebrate with the rest of them, and they had yet to be kicked out of this particular bar. No had tried to start a fight, and the music was actually decent for a change.

And it certainly did not hurt that she was currently cuddled up with Tseng either. Actually, Elena was half leaning against him and half sprawled in his lamp. Though he did not seem to mind that at all. Elena was pretty sure she was tipsy right now. But that really was fine. After a grueling mission, it was nice to be able to just relax and unwind. It wasn't quite a vacation, but it was a nice way to spend an evening.

Rude was nursing a glass of whisky while Reno was actually dancing and trying to pick up girls. He was not actually having much luck with that. Elena was willing to bet this had something to do with his dance moves. They were not exactly what she would call skilled. And they definitely did not go with the slow ballad that was currently playing. But that was Reno and his dancing for you. It was not his best strategy for getting girls.

Tseng gently nuzzled her ear, and Elena turned her head slightly so she could kiss him. His arms were wrapped around her in a comfortable embrace. This really was what success felt like to Elena. Being safe in the arms of the man she loved and able to watch her friends make fools of themselves. Well, Rude was really moping more than making a fool of himself, but Reno more than made up for that. Tseng's lips brushed her ear again.

"Twenty more minutes, Elena, and then we are going home."

She just grinned. "Deal."

As nice as it was to celebrate victory with her friends and co-workers, Elena definitely was not going to protest having a private victory celebration as well. After all, they had succeeded despite the odds, and no one had died. Well, no one of importance. A little celebration was deserved, and it wasn't like they were going to get a vacation any time soon.


	15. Moving Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 7: Invitation.

**Moving Out**

Elena set down her empty glass on the bar with a content sigh. She was ready to call it a night. She did have the early shift tomorrow anyway.

"All right, guys, I'm heading home for the night."

Reno and Rude shared a look. Elena raised an eyebrow at them. Reno just sighed and drained his glass.

"We'll walk you home."

Elena's eyebrow went even higher. "I'm a big girl, boys. I can walk home on my own."

Rude frowned. "The boss would not like that. Especially since your wrist is still broken."

She sighed but let them insist on it. At least this time. She was injured, and really, it was not perhaps the best part of Midgar that she lived in. It was not a big deal. Still, neither Reno nor Rude had ever been to her home before, and Elena was a little reluctant to share its location with them. It was her main sanctuary from work these days. Things might have gotten better since Geostigma had been cured, but they were still rather crazy at work for the Turks. And having to travel in an unsafe area really was not that big a deal for a Turk. But they made their way to her little apartment without incident.

Reno frowned as he waited for her to unlock the door. "This place is a dump."

Elena just shrugged. "It's what I can afford. It's a decent enough place since there aren't any roaches or rats."

"Un huh." Reno frowned. "Tseng is not going to like this."

"Maybe he can give me a raise then."

So it was not the best part of town. It was affordable on her salary, and Elena really had not had any problems yet. Elena was a trained professional, and she could take care of herself. So what if she had to be careful when she came home at night and never answered the door without a weapon in hand? It was not like she had any place else to go. Besides, Tseng probably would not care that much. At least not as long as she didn't get mugged or anything while living here. He had enough important things to worry about that far surpassed her current living conditions.

But Elena really didn't give the matter much though. Once she was safely inside her apartment, the guys left, and she went to bed. She went to work the next day, and by the end of the day, she had pretty much forgotten about the whole issue. At least until Saturday morning. She was awakened from her plan of seeping in by a knock on her door. Grumbling, Elena threw on a robe and grabbed her gun.

All three of her coworkers were on her doorstep. They had brought boxes with them. Elena frowned and yanked her door open.

"What are you doing here?"

"We're here to help you move," Reno grinned at her.

"Sir?" She turned her attention to her boss.

"You're moving, Elena."

"What?" Elena was not sure she was understanding things correctly.

"You're staying with me until we find you a better place," Tseng calmly informed her. "This is not a safe location, and you are not staying here any longer. I have a guest room in my apartment, and I would prefer have you safe when you are often duty."

Elena just blinked. Her boss was inviting her, well practically ordering her, to move in with him. She was a little puzzled by this, but she was also a little two overwhelmed to complain. Besides, the idea of living with Tseng was intriguing. So Elena let the boys help her pack up her things (she really did not have all that much) and transport them to Tseng's apartment.

It was much nicer than her little hole in the wall. For one thing, you were not very likely to get mugged in front of it at night. It was much larger than hers as well. Tseng had a living room, a kitchen, a study, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. All with large windows and beautiful hardwood floors. It did not take Elena that long to settle in to her new room. Still, it felt a little odd and awkward being here. Tseng had said that she should make herself at home and treat the apartment as her own, but she had a feeling that might take her awhile before she would actually feel at home here.

Still, that evening did find Elena padding out into the kitchen in her pajamas in order to fix herself a cup of hot chocolate. Tseng did not actually have hot chocolate mix, but Elena knew how to improvise with cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and a microwave. She had just taken her mug out of the microwave when she realized she was not alone in the room. Tseng had managed to sneak up on her. He smiled at her and gently cupped her cheek.

"I've almost lost you too many times on the job recently to risk losing when you're off duty now." He ran his thumb over her cheek bone, making her heart dance. "At least this way I know that you are some place safe at least part of the time. We've both nearly died before we had a chance at that dinner date, and I'm not taking anymore chances than I have to."

Then he kissed her. Somehow Elena was not surprised when she never got around to moving out or finding a new place.


	16. Lean On Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 8: Swept Off Your Feet.

**Lean On Me**

The thing about recruiting new Turks was it meant that eventually the newbies would need to be trained. And since there really was not anyone else to do the job, that meant that the current Turks that existed needed to train them. It had been giving Elena headaches for weeks now. It was not that the children (she really couldn't help thing of them otherwise) did not have potential, but they were just all over the place discipline and training wise. She could not have been this bad. Then again, Elena had been groomed to be a Turk since middle school.

But still, the little idiots could be very frustrating at times. They were mostly male, and Elena had needed to disabuse a number of them of the idea that simply because she was a female did not mean she was not as much of a Turk as Reno, Rude, and Tseng. Given the bruises some of the boys were sporting after those lessons, Elena did not think that they were going to be forgetting that anytime soon. Unfortunately for Elena, that still did not get her out of the current training exercise.

The recruits were supposed to be learning how to navigate and move quickly through Midgar. It was not exactly going well. And when there was a mugging not five feet away from them, Elena just knew that things were going to go wrong. She had just pulled out her piece when one of the young idiots chose that moment to barrel into her, knocking Elena off balance as he leapt at the mugger. Elena bounced off a dumpster then landed on her foot wrong. She actually heard the crunch, and then her foot went out from under her. Elena slammed into the wall in order keep from slumping to the ground.

Elena blinked back tears. Damn that hurt. Her ankle was definitely broken. This was not good. She glanced around for one of the recruits to give her a hand, but they had all gone after the mugger. This time she swore far more intensely. This was not good.

"Elena?" Both Tseng's voice and presence were welcome.

"I don't think I can walk." As much as Elena hated admitting weakness, she knew her limits. And with her ankle in the shape it was, she was pretty much useless at the moment.

Tseng swore and scooped her up in his arms. She found herself tucked up against her boss' chest. It was not an unusual position for her to be in, but typically it was when they were at home and off duty, not when he was striding through the streets with her in his arms because she could not walk. She could not see his face, but Elena could tell from the tenseness of his body that Tseng was pissed. Not that Elena blamed him. If she was not in as much pain as she was, she would probably be angry as well. At the moment though, she was trying to focus on how nice it felt to be Tseng's arms rather than the pain. It was not working too well.

However, Reno and Rude showed up a few minutes later, and thankfully, Rude had a first aid kit with him. So Reno and Rude went off to find and corral the recruits while Tseng set her down and tended to her ankle. After giving her a painkiller that was. Elena let out a hiss of relief when it started working. Tseng frowned at her foot as he examined it.

"It's a bad sprain, Elena. You're going have to spend at least six weeks off it."

Elena sighed. "So dinner and dancing is definitely out then."

"The dancing part at least. We can still do dinner." He kissed her forehead. "Hold still while I wrap your ankle."

By the time Tseng had pulled out the bandages he wanted, Reno and Rude had returned, trailing recruits.

Tseng carefully bound her foot, all the while giving an extremely stern lecture about proper protocol on missions and treatment of team members who are injured. As she was not on the receiving end of the lecture, Elena simply sat back and enjoyed. Tseng was very good at dressing people down.

He finished wrapped her ankle. "Now, I will take Elena back to headquarters while Reno and Rude introduce you to the art of navigating sewers."

Tseng scooped up Elena once again and strode off with her. Elena peered over his shoulder, and Elena couldn't help but grinning at what she heard.

"So what have we learned today?" Reno asked.

"Don't leave a teammate behind for stupid reasons?" one of younger recruits offered.

Reno shrugged. "Either that or don't get the boss' girlfriend hurt."


	17. Carry On Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 18: Wedding.

**Carry On Dancing**

Elena slipped outside the bride's room in order to get a breath of fresh air. It was not like she was needed inside, and since the room only had one door and no windows, her being out here did not compromise the bride's security. Rufus was getting married, and Elena had been drafted as a bridesmaid in order to provide security for Rufus' new bride. Elena was going to be utterly delighted when the assignment was over with. Being both a bodyguard and bridesmaid was horrendous for a number of reasons. The dress was only one of them though the golden color the bride had chosen really was not her color.

It also did not help that none of the other bridesmaids actually liked her. They were all friends of the bride (who had needed to be vetted before they could be allowed to participate), and they had not exactly approved of her. She was an outsider among them, and they made sure she knew it. Elena sighed. She had a splitting headache. But within two hours, this would all be over.

"Elena?" Tseng appeared before her. "Is there something wrong?"

She shook her head. "I just needed to get a few moments alone before the ceremony starts. Besides, it's a little emotional in there, and they don't really need me at the moment."

"Ah." Tseng gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Any problems so far?"

"Not yet. No suspicious packages or gifts, and I haven't had anyone trying to get to her yet today. If we can just get through the ceremony and the reception, I think we'll be set."

"Reno and Rude also report no problems." He glanced down at the object she kept fiddling with. "What is that?"

Elena was not at all surprised that he had not recognized it. The large turquoise flower mounted on a golden hair bow wasn't exactly the best hair accessory that one could choose. She held it out to him.

"My hair accessory. All of the bridesmaids are wearing them. I'm avoiding putting it on. I feel ridiculous."

And she did. Elena was used to looking professional in her Turk uniform. Being dressed in a frilly golden gown that did not suit her accessorized with bright turquoise was not at all flattering. Elena would be perfectly happy when she could go back to her regular uniform.

Tseng kissed her forehead then gently fastened the bow in her hair. "You look beautiful despite the poor fashion choices. Remember to keep your eyes open during the ceremony, and you owe me at least one dance during the reception."

Elena smiled and gave him a proper kiss. "Yes, sir."


	18. Here Comes the Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 4: Twirl.

**Here Comes the Sun**

Tseng could not resist the pair of amber eyes that peered at him from over the arm of the couch. Kerrigan might have inherited his hair, but she had Elena's eyes and smile. He set aside his book and turned his full attention on his four year old daughter. She had been taking a nap just ten minutes ago. But it was clear that she was fully awake now, and once Keri was awake, there was no end to the mischief she could get into.

"What are you up to, sunshine?"

Keri just giggled at him and held out her hands, a clear indication that she wanted to be picked up. Tseng swung her up into his lap and kissed her forehead. "Well, minx, if you don't have anything to do, we have better find something to keep us both entertained."

Tseng had never really planned on being a father. It didn't really fit well with his job or his image as a Turk. But when Elena had ended up pregnant, Tseng had found that there was room enough in their life for a child as well. It had taken some juggling, but Keri had found her space in their lives, and now Tseng couldn't really imagine not having his daughter a part of life. Of course, it did help that Rufus appeared absolutely besotted with Kerrigan and had insisted on being her godfather. Also, there were more Turks now, and it wasn't like he and Elena were the half of the entire force.

"So, sunshine, what do you want to do?"

"Dancing."

That didn't surprise Tseng. Keri loved anything that had to do with the music. He perched her on his him while he fiddled with the stereo system. It didn't take Tseng long to find the radio station he wanted, and within minutes bright, happy music filled the living room. Keri clapped her hands and beamed. With a laugh, Tseng twirled her in a circle before setting her down on the ground. Keri's hands held in his own, Tseng danced with his daughter until Elena's soft giggle interrupted them. With a smile, Tseng simply dropped on of Keri's hands and held his own out to his wife.

"Dance with us?"

Elena just laughed and joined them.


	19. I Know What I Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 19: Lesson.

**I Know What I Know**

Tseng did a double take when he saw the blond teenager in the office. The girl couldn't be older than fifteen, but she did look vaguely familiar. It took Tseng several minutes before he placed her as the sister of Alexia, one of the gun specialist Turks. He couldn't remember what her name was, but then again, he wasn't sure if he had ever actually been introduced to her. The girl was dressed in a ShinRa High School uniform and seemed engrossed in her book. Tseng just shrugged it off and went about dealing with his paperwork.

He did notice when the girl brought over a cup of coffee for him. She offered him a smile.

"Here. Alexia said to make myself useful, and you look like you could use a cup of coffee."

"Thank you."

The girl went back to her book, and Tseng got back to work on his reports. The office was quiet for a change with all of the other Turks out on assignments. Elena herself was no trouble. In fact, given the fact that giant stack of files to dealt this morning was gone and that Elena had been told to be useful, Tseng rather suspected that she had busy until recently. Now the girl was simply engaged in reading and really not much of a bother.

Of course, being that this was Turk Headquarters, it was not that surprising when things did not stay that way. Still, Tseng was not quite prepared when five masked men stormed into the room. By the time his instincts had kicked in, one of them had already grabbed Elena and was using her as a hostage. The teenager seemed calm enough which was good. Her panicking would make things much worse.

"Stay where you are, Turk boy," one of the men snarled.

This was not good. Tseng wasn't sure how to get them out of it. Elena chose that moment to glance over at him and roll her eyes. Tseng hid a smile. He had to admit that the girl had spunk. He just hoped that she wouldn't do anything stupid that would get her killed. He also was hoping that whoever these people were, they would not assume that she was a Turk. She wasn't that much younger than him, and he had been a Turk by at a young age. It would not be helpful if they decided to take out their grievances with ShinRa on her.

However, as it turned out, Elena had several tricks up her sleeves. The grace that Tseng typically associated with dancers and a surprising among of speed, Elena lashed out, taking down two of them. Part of Tseng made a mental note of her martial arts skills even as he leapt into action. By the time that Tseng had disposed of three of the men, Elena had dealt with the other two, though her blouse had been ripped open and she had a black eye. She hadn't done badly for an armature. In a couple of years, Elena might make for a valuable addition to the Turks.

After making sure that she had completely incapacitated her two attackers, Tseng pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Not bad. You would make a pretty good Turk with a little more training."

Elena smiled up at him, and despite the black eye, Tseng couldn't help think that she really was rather adorable. "Really?"

He nodded and impulsively pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yes."


	20. Sway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 25: Barefoot.

**Sway**

Elena dumped the freshly ground coffee into the filter and finished setting up the coffeemaker before flipping the on switch. The wooden floor was warm beneath her bare feet, having been heated by the sunlight streaming through the windows for the past few hours. It was mid-afternoon, though Elena had just gotten out of bed. Someone had turned off her alarm clock. Of course, given that she hadn't gotten home until two in the morning that was perfectly reasonable. Still it had meant that she had woken up alone, and there was no coffee ready and waiting for her.

Six months ago when she had started her job at ShinRa Inc., Elena had not expected to be living with her boss and dating him as well. At the time she had been happy to just have a job, and the fact that it was the one she had really wanted was just a bonus. She had been out of school for nine months and had been completely unable to find a job. Her family had not exactly approved of her choices both in college and career wise, and she had been barely scraping by.

And of course it didn't help that her first day working as personal security for Mr. Rufus ShinRa she had made a complete fool of herself in front of her boss and partner. Elena had not exactly gotten off to a great start. But she worked hard to prove herself, and by her second month things had gotten better. She was still the rookie on the team of course, but at least by then she had belonged. Elena had also managed to develop one hell of a crush on her boss as well.

Then Tseng and the others had found out exactly where she lived. Elena's apartment had been what she could afford, and she hadn't yet saved up enough for a new place. So what if it was a bad part of town and her landlord was exactly what the term slumlord had been invented to describe? Elena had been fine, and she was planning to move when she could afford to. Her coworkers had thought rather differently.

The whole situation had come about accidentally. Elena had ended up with a broken wrist thanks to the job, and Tseng had insisted on seeing her home. And at some point Reno and Rude had invited themselves along. Tseng had already been frowning when they had arrived at her apartment building, but by the time the four of them had actually reached the apartment door, all of her coworkers seemed unhappy.

Elena unlocked the door. "Here we are. You all really didn't need to see me home."

The door swung open revealing the little closet of an apartment complete with cracks in the walls and a cockroach skittering across the floor, and Tseng gave the apartment a brusque glance.

"You are not staying here." He announced.

"Sir?" Elena was confused.

"You'd better get used to calling me Tseng. You're living with me from now on. This isn't a secure location, and you'll need a place to stay until we can find you a place of your own. Go collect whatever you'll need for a couple of days. Reno and Rude can get started on boxing things up for you."

Elena had quickly found herself moved out of her apartment and into her boss'. And she had to admit that Tseng's place was a giant step up from her own. It actually had two bedrooms as well as a full kitchen and a living room. It was also in a building that housed an assortment of ShinRa Inc. employees and have a full security system. Elena didn't exactly mind moving her, but she had to admit that it was a little odd. She doesn't know what prompted her typically uptight boss to move her in with him, and she's not sure how to deal with the whole situation. Especially since she had a crush on the man.

Footfalls behind her shook Elena from her memories. Tseng wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her back against his chest. "What are you thinking about, Elena?"

She just smiled up at him. "I was remembering how I ended up here."

Tseng kissed her cheek. "No offense, sweetheart, but that place was a dive. I was more concern about you getting hurt off duty than at work. Besides, you make a very good roommate."

"Notice how I haven't found a new place to live."

Tseng just laughed. "And here I thought that was because Reno and Rude kept sabotaging your apartment hunting."

"That and I like your cooking." Elena giggled. "Besides, I'm perfectly happy living here."

He spun her around and kissed her properly. "Good. I don't think I'd be willing to let you move out."

Elena just smiled and leaned against him. "What are you doing home anyway?"

"It's my day off. Remember? We have tickets to go to the ballet."

Elena blinked even as the smell of coffee began to fill the air. She had been looking forward to the performance by the Seireitei Ballet Company all week, but it couldn't be Saturday already. "It's Saturday?"

Tseng nodded. "It is. Drink some coffee, sweetheart. Once you wake up some more, we can go out for a late lunch, and you can help me figure out what to get Cloud and Tifa for a wedding present."

Elena smiled. No, she hadn't expected to be here six months ago, but she really wasn't going to complain about that now.


	21. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 6: Formal.

**Promises**

Tseng had to admit that Elena did stand out from most of those here. She was clearly not Wutain. But she more than lovely in her traditional Wutain wedding dress. Her clearly foreign looks made her stand amidst the women who were acting as her attendants. In all honesty, it was a small wedding, but that was fine with the both of them. Actually, if it had just been up to the two of them, the whole affair would have probably lasted twenty minutes at a city hall.

However, Tseng's cousin had found out that they were getting married, and the next thing he'd known, Shunsui had the entire wedding organized and planned for them. It was rather nice, and not at all overblown as Tseng had worried that it might have become. His cousin had done a magnificent job. It was a small intimate wedding attended by Tseng's cousins and his fellow Turks and Rufus.

Then Elena caught his eyes with her own, and Tseng's mind couldn't hold on to any other thoughts besides how lovely she looked. Together the two of them made their way through the intricate dance of the ceremony, even if Tseng wasn't exactly paying very close attention to anything other than Elena. The droning of the priest really wasn't that memorable or probably that important anyway. For the most part the ceremony consisted of him and Elena just standing there, except for a few rituals.

In some ways it was hard to believe that they were here. At times it really did not seem all that long ago that Elena was the newest rookie on the team and just another Turk to him. That certainly had changed over the years. Now she was not only his partner, but the Turks and ShinRa had certainly changed to an extent as well. Still, Tseng didn't think he would change the way things had turned out. At the end of the ceremony, he and Elena finally said their vows followed by the ceremonial drinking of nine cups of sake. Elena carefully sipped the rice wine, her nose wrinkling slightly at the taste, before holding the cup out to him. Tseng winked at her.

Once the wine had been drunk and the cups set aside, there were only two things left. The priest tied their hands together with a silken cord and mumbled a blessing. Then he spoke the words that Tseng had been waiting to hear.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Tseng closed the distance between them and kissed Elena. In the end, all that really mattered was they had managed to get here.


	22. Come Away With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 1: Candlelight.

**Come Away With Me**

"Elena, you're done for the night."

Tseng's voice cut through the office and made her look up from her paperwork. His announcement was not one she had been expecting. In fact, she had been planning on another long night in order to get all of the paperwork done. Her boss just smiled at her.

"Get your coat. We're going out for dinner."

She blinked up at him not sure what was going on, but her body was already moving, putting away her paperwork. She rose to her feet and snagged her purse from her desk. Tseng helped her into her coat and ushered her out the door.

"Sir, what is going on?"

Tseng kissed the top of her head. "Today is the third anniversary you being my partner. We're celebrating."

Before she knew what was going on, Tseng had whisked her off to a nice restaurant. The two of them were quickly escorted to a table for two in a corner complete with candlelight. Elena smiled at him.

"You didn't have to go to some much trouble."

"I wanted to." He smiled as he took the seat opposite her. "Besides, perhaps this is one anniversary dinner which won't be interrupted."

Elena just laughed at that. Probably one of the most common distractions from their sates over the years had been something coming up and the two of them being called in. It had actually taken them about eight attempts to manage to get all the way through their first date together. But once they had gotten past that hurdle, their relationship had bloomed. It had been an interesting challenge balancing their partnership and their relationship, but they were both Turks first, and despite Reno's unending teasing, they had managed quite well.

As usual, Tseng's selection of restaurants was lovely. The food was delicious, and the chocolate orange torte Elena ordered for dessert was simply divine. She finished the last bite with a content sigh.

"I hope you're not too full for some dancing?"

With a smile, she took his hand and let Tseng lead her out on to the dance floor. A mellow tune was playing, and Elena simply relaxed in Tseng's arms, allowing him to lead her through the steps of the dance.

Elena flashed a bright smile up at him. "Thank you, Tseng. It's been a lovely evening."

"Not a problem, sweetheart." He leaned in to kiss her. "I'm looking forward to celebrating with you for years to come."


	23. All the Way Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 15: Ballroom.

**All the Way Down**

Wedding duty was not a favorite assignment of Elena's. For one thing, she didn't have her normal armor of the Turk's uniform. Rufus insisted that she blend in for these trips, and so instead of her normal suit, Elena wore a stylish black dress that matched the other Turks' suits. Still, she had been hit on at least twenty times in the last hour, and besides rescuing Rufus twice, she really didn't have much to do. Elena was really beginning to wish she could drink on duty.

With a sigh, she leaned against the bar and sipped at her iced tea. Elena kept an eye out for Rufus, but since he was currently chatting with a number of business men and tailed by Rude, she wasn't too worried about him. She was more concerned about the sharks circling her. She wasn't entirely sure what the attraction was as she wasn't the only single, pretty woman in the ballroom, but it seemed like off of the young male idiots were after her.

And unfortunately, Elena couldn't just shoot them despite how useful that would be. So she would just have to discourage her admirers as best she could without resorting to too much violence. With another sigh, she signaled the bartender for a refill on her iced tea. A man sidled up to her.

"Hey, sweetie, why aren't you dancing? A pretty thing like you should be enjoying the party."

And once again, she was getting hit on. Elena glared at the man.

"I'm enjoying my drink."

"Now don't play hard to get. Let's go dance."

Elena was debating whether breaking his wrist or just his fingers would be more effective. However, a looming presence behind her seemed to work just as well. Once the man had scuttled off, Elena turned around to face Tseng. He smiled at her.

"You looked like you could use a rescue. Besides, people will start noticing if too many people end up with broken bones."

She laughed. "What and ruin my only entertainment?"

He kissed her lightly and slid an arm around her waist. "Come dance with me. Reno and Rude will keep an eye on Rufus."

Elena smiled and followed him out onto the dance floor. At least wedding duty had some perks even if it wasn't her favorite assignment.


	24. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 13: Heels.

**Hit Me With Your Best Shot**

Elena had decided that high heels were clearly meant to be a torture device. While it was true that her trendy black suede stilettos matched her little black dress, gave her nearly three more inches of height and looked stunning, they also hurt her feet, and if she had to run this evening, she was going to be pretty much lame tomorrow. But she would worry about that if it happened. She scanned the bar, keeping an eye out from trouble. Reno and Rude were currently flanking Rufus while Tseng kept an eye on things in the background. Elena's job was to keep anyone who wasn't supposed to from approaching Rufus.

It was an easy enough job for the most part. Most of the patrons at the restaurant seemed disinterested in Rufus and the business meeting that he was conducting. And those who had wandered towards the meeting had seemed to think she worked for the restaurant and hurried off when she informed them that it was a private party going on. Elena scanned the room again and frowned. There was someone headed her way, and unfortunately, Elena recognized him.

Kyle Worthington came from old money, and he had once had something of a following before ShinRa had fallen. Now, however, he was basically looking to ride someone's coat tails back to his former luxury and comfort. Needless to say, he wasn't that useful to Rufus anymore, and he was not on the Turks' approved list. So Elena moved to intercept him. He flashed her a smile.

"I'm just joining Rufus, sweetheart. Nothing to worry about."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Worthington, but you're not on the list of invitees for this meeting."

"Are you Mr. ShinRa's personal assistant then?" He shrugged. "I'm sure it's just some mistake. Nothing for you to worry about."

Elena kept herself between Worthington and Rufus' table. "I'm sorry. That's not possible."

The man just smirked at her. He didn't seem to see her as a threat. It was an ability Elena both loved and hated. On the one hand, it worked very well during undercover missions or when she didn't want to be noticed. However, when she needed to intimate someone rather than just take them down, it often worked against her.

"What are you going to do, sweetheart? Beat me to death with your heels? Like you could hurt anyone with those. Now run along and do you job."

Elena was not amused. "Clearly, you've never worn high heels. You're going to have to leave, Mr. Worthington."

"Please." He tried to push past her.

Elena smiled nastily before sinking her heel into his foot then taking his legs out from under him. She had heard a nice crunch from his instep in the process. Smiling down at the man, she kicked him in the stomach.

"Now, you're going to get up and walk out of here. There will be a taxi waiting for you. You can go wherever you want. And if you don't walk out of here, you won't be dancing any time soon. Got it?"

As soon as she removed her foot, Worthington scrambled to his feet and limped out of the room. Elena blew a strand of hair out of her face. That was dealt with. Looking down, she sighed when she surveyed the damage. One of her heels had broken in the process of dealing with that idiot. It was with a sigh of relief that she slipped out of the shoes. She'd just have to hope people didn't notice she was barefoot.

"Elena?" Her boss had come up behind her. Tseng took a look at her bare feet and smiled before kissing her cheek. "I'll buy you a new pair of shoes. Comfortable ones. Good work, Elena. Keep it up. The meeting will probably be another hour or so."

Elena smiled. "Yes, sir."


	25. We Hide and Seek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 28: Masquerade.

**We Hide and Seek**

Tseng pulled her zipper up, securing Elena's costume. "Are you ready?"

Elena nodded, stepping away from her partner in order to tie her mask in place. The two of them both wore elaborate masquerade costumes in order to both blend in with the crowd tonight as well as to conceal their identities. They would be the ones carrying out the assassination tonight. Reno and Rude would be proving a distraction.

She double checked her weapons and made sure that her costume was in place. She was dressed as a Renaissance lady. It was choice that was common enough that she wouldn't stand out, and the neckline of the gown would keep most men from looking at her face. Not that would be able to tell much with her mask in place, but it was better to be safe than to be sorry. Elena adjusted her mask and turned to let her partner check her over.

Tseng nodded at her and smiled. He adjusted her mask and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. "You're all set."

Her partner put on his own mask, and the two of them slipped out of the hotel room in order to join the rest of the partygoers. Before long Elena doubted that anyone would be able to pick them out specifically amongst the throng of costumed and masked party-goers. And of course, that was the point. Another couple at the party would hardly gather much notice. These sorts of missions were always rather routine in truth: slip in with the guests, mingle, kill someone, mingle some more, and then make a discreet exit eventually. Elena had completed over a dozen of them at this point in her career.

Tseng tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow, and the two of them moved out onto the dance floor. Dancing was a very good way to get close to a target without being noticed, and Elena never minded dancing with her partner. Three songs later fireworks began causing most of the guests to head towards the windows. Elena used the opportunity to fire a single silenced shot into the target's brain while Tseng kept watch for her.

The two of the part ways as they disappeared into the crowd. The body would probably be found once the fireworks display was done with. If they really were fireworks. Elena wasn't sure that Reno had actually gotten his hands on actual fireworks; he might have improvised something. It wouldn't be the first time. About ten minutes later, just as the fireworks were beginning to die down, Tseng reappeared by her side, holding a pair of Champaign flutes.

"The body hasn't been discovered yet. It was a good idea to pull him back into that alcove. He probably won't be found until either the party is over or a couple needs a place to make out."

She took one of the glasses. "Good. So when do we leave?"

Tseng kissed her. "In about ten minutes. We'll have one more dance and then slip out early. I doubt we'll be the only ones."

Fifteen minutes they were driving away from the hotel. Their costumes had already been discarded in favor of their regular uniforms, and the body had yet to be discovered. Elena smiled to herself. These missions really were rather routine, but it was just a part of being a Turk. Besides, Elena really couldn't say that she minded them.


	26. You Can't Hurry Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 26: Romance.

**You Can't Hurry Love**

Elena was very seriously giving up dating for good. She wasn't dating anymore. Period. Nothing was going to change her mind. This had been the last straw. Dating was worthless, and she was not putting herself through this again. Slumping in her chair, Elena moaned and buried her face in her hands. She had just been dumped by her fourth boyfriend since she had first become a Turk. None of them had ended well. And this had been the worst breakup so far.

"Do we need to hurt someone, Laney?" Reno called from his desk.

She sighed and kicked off her high heel shoes. She'd come back to the office after her date imploded. She had been planning on coming back to the office anyway. Besides, there was a hidden stash of chocolate in her desk.

"Thanks, Reno, but I'm fine. It was just the last straw. Again."

Karl had been the fourth of her boyfriends to dump her. As it turned out, scientists did not make any better boyfriends than accountants or businessmen. Especially, when they were self absorbed and might have been responsible for the fiasco she'd dealt with the other day. And the idiot had been proud of the mess he'd made too. Needless to say, it had not been the date she was expecting.

"You sure? Cause if you want, Rude and I can go break some bones."

Elena laughed. "Thanks for the offer."

She turned her attention to the paperwork on her desk. This past week had been hellacious, and everyone was behind on paperwork. It was why she had originally had been planning on coming back to the office after her date. Elena pulled out a pair of fuzzy socks out of one of her desk drawers and slid on over her stockings. That would have to do until she could get home and curl up with a hot water bottle and a cup of hot chocolate. But that would have to wait for now.

So with that in mind, Elena attacked her paperwork with a vengeance. She was more than ready to go home. This day wouldn't be over soon enough for her. Hellish week at work. Extremely shitty date ending with a break up that attracted everyone in the restaurant's attention, and then she got to go back to the office to do paperwork. It wasn't really a recipe to make her dance for joy. No, romance was dead and she had paperwork.

Tseng leaned over her desk and dropped a large bag of milk chocolate kisses beside her computer. Startled, Elena looked at him. Tseng just smiled.

"You looked like you needed them. Besides, I'm pretty sure Reno decimated your regular stash of chocolate."

"Thanks, sir."

"Not a problem, Elena."

She was smiling as she got back to work, after taking the time to open the bag and popping one of the kisses in her mouth. At least she had one decent guy in her life. Even if he wasn't her boyfriend.


	27. Morningside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 23: Jig.

**Morningside**

Elena was a little nervous as they headed in to work this morning. Last night had been perfectly lovely, but now she had to face her coworkers. Reno was not going to let it go, and Elena knew that there had been quite a bit of money riding on the outcome of her date with Tseng last night. In fact, she and Tseng had been the subject of a number of betting pools since Reno had learned that they were dating, but Elena had done her best to avoid that subject.

Still, last night marked the six month anniversary of their official relationship, and Elena had spent much of it in Tseng's bed. However, she was not keen to share that tidbit with her coworkers. In fact, she was not keen on sharing any part of her private life with her coworkers, but some things couldn't be helped. So she was just going to have to figure out how to deal with this before they got to the office.

Of course, it didn't help matters that Elena knew there was a mark on her neck, just barely covered by her hair. Tseng rest his hand on the small of her back.

"You're fretting, Elena."

She shrugged. "I'm just not sure how to deal everyone at work when we get there. Except for Reno. I plan on shooting him."

Tseng laughed and leaned down to kiss her. "Just ignore them. The gossip will die down eventually."

However, there was a cluster of people waiting for them when they reached the Turk offices with Reno at the head. Elena did her best to keep an impassive look on her face. She was not going to give Reno the satisfaction of knowing that he'd ruffled her.

"So," Reno smirked. "How was your date?"

Tseng glared at the man. "None of your business. Don't you all have work to do?"

There were some murmurs and the crowd began to disperse. No one wanted to be on Tseng's bad side. But as Elena passed Reno on her way to her desk, he reached out to tousle her hair, exposing the mark on her neck.

Reno laughed. "Pay up! She's got a hickey. That's proof enough."

Elena blushed. She had been hoping no one would notice. Then she felt rage fizzle under her skin as Reno started collected his winnings. Her private life was not for him to be making a profit on. Reno was doing a happy little dance in the middle of the office with his winnings in his hands. Elena pulled out her gun. She aimed at his feet. Reno's happy little dance turned into the bullet avoiding jig. At least until her clip ran out.

Tseng sighed and shook his head before plucking the money out of Reno's hand. "Back to work. Now."

Then he smiled at Elena. "Dinner tonight?"

"That would be lovely."

She smiled as settled at her desk. At least the winnings from the betting pool would be put to a good cause.


	28. Promises to Keep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 17: Gloves.

**Promises to Keep**

Elena made her way through the streets in the early morning light. She wasn't fond of getting up this early, but her new job required it, and Elena was hoping to actually keep this one. It had been nearly eight months since she had been fired as a Turk. It had been awkward for just about everyone involved. Politics had necessitated the need to terminate her, and while Elena knew that Rufus felt bad about it, but his company came first.

Unfortunately for Elena, she had found that being a Turk had spoiled her for most other jobs, and while Rufus had given her a generous severance package, she would need to work again. So she had gone job hunting and lost the first three jobs she had found. Breaking peoples' bones in normal jobs was apparently not approved off. Even when it was well deserved. But Elena had finally found a job as a chorus dancer at a musical theater that was still in business, and for one the lessons her mother had insisted on went to good use. Even if it did mean getting up at an ungodly hour in the morning.

She slipped into the theater through a side door and quickly made her way to the main practice room for the dancers. Half of the other dancers were already there, and Elena quickly joined them for warm ups. The show was supposed to open in six months, but there had been problems with funding lately. Elena was keeping her fingers crossed that they wouldn't go under. It wasn't the same as being a Turk, but it was a job that Elena was enjoying and that she felt fairly comfortable in.

The company was all present and had finished their warm ups when the choreographer called for their attention.

"I have good news, folks. As you all know, the show has been struggling somewhat. We have finalized an agreement with a new producer. Mr. Rufus ShinRa is now the sole producer of the Rose of Mideel."

A sigh of relief rose from most of the dancers. Elena tried not to let her own emotions show. While it was good that they didn't need to worry about the show going under, Elena wasn't sure she was ready to deal with any one from ShinRa just yet. Except Tseng. Tseng had kept tabs on her since she had been fired, and she heard from him at least once a week if not saw him in person. She wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps he still felt responsible for her or perhaps it was the fledgling romantic relationship that had sprung up between them just before she had been fired. But whatever the reason that he had kept in touch, Elena had to admit that she enjoyed it.

Still, the change of producers didn't turn out to make that many changes to the daily life of the dancers. Elena's days were filled with lessons and rehearsals as the play began to come to together. They were about two months away from opening night when problems started to appear. Not financial problems though. No, this time it was outright sabotage. Or at least what Elena believed to be sabotage. Most everyone else seemed to think it was a run of bad luck. However, after nearly a dozen incidents, Elena was more than willing to believe that something was going on here.

She had actually started investigating the incidents on her own. Many of the problems had been accidents that would not be hard to engineer. For example, weakened supports on some of the sets were easy enough to arrange. So were the missing costumes and the mislabeled paints. Elena was willing to be money that someone was deliberately causing problems for the play. The only problem was she wasn't sure who exactly to report things to or who to trust in general. It wasn't like working for the Turks where she had both a clear chain of command and carte blanche to investigate as she liked.

So Elena kept her findings to herself for now and hoped that she would be either be able to turn them over to someone else or act on them herself. She hadn't figured out just what was going on yet, but at least she had made a start of untangling the mess. However, the accidents didn't appear to abate. In fact, they increased in number. So when Turks showed up at the theater a few weeks later, Elena was not entirely surprised. Rufus was not one to let his investments get out of his control.

However, she wasn't expecting the Turks that showed up to be the new recruits. Out without the supervision of a more experienced Turk none the less. She kept her eye on them. They hadn't gotten around to talking with the dancers yet, but it was only a matter of time. So far, Elena was not impressed by the newbies. Hell, Reno would be doing a better job. He was at the very least far more observant than these fools. The way they were going about this investigation they weren't likely to ever collect the information they needed. And she especially didn't like the way they kept eyeing the dancers.

Elena rose up on her toes, stretching as far as she could. She knew what she looked like. Petite and blond, her clothes fairly revealing but comfortable and easy to move in along with leg warmers and fingerless gloves. She looked delicate and unthreatening. Appearances were deceiving when it came to dancers, and especially when it came to her. These new Turks wouldn't be the first people to look at dancers as simple a step up from strippers.

She kept an ear open as they began to approach the dancers. It didn't take long for the two newbies to corner one of the younger dancers and start in on her. Elena allowed the steps of the dance routine she was working on carry her in that direction. So when the idiot boys started pressing Elena's colleague for sex instead in exchange for leaving her out of their investigation (Caris didn't have anything to do with the sabotage, but these people clearly hadn't figured that out), she decided it was time to act. Elena whirled in the middle of the routine and took the feet out from under the one who has been acting as the leader. She snarled. "Next time send a real Turk. And next time you think about bothering the dancers, remember you have to go through me first."

And with a flip of her hair, she stalked to the other side of the room. Elena knew what would happen next. There were really only two options. Either they would be good little Turks and call their superiors for help or Tseng would have to send someone competent over in order to investigate later on. Or he would try to attack her and get broken bones, and one of the first two options would happen anyway. Either way, Elena would be able to deal with someone who could actually do something about the situation.

Elena went for her water bottle and leaned back against the wall to see what happened. She was not at all surprised when Tseng showed up in less than twenty minutes. She watched as the two rookie Turks fidgeted as Tseng first talked to the director and the theater manager and then the choreographer and then finally he talked with his Turks. It took less than five minutes for Elena to get a signal to wander her way over to them. And she was just in time to play her role in all this.

Tseng raised an eyebrow at the Turks. "Would you like to tell me why you attacked someone who is supposed to be under our protection?"

There was uncomfortable shuffling. Tseng nodded.

"I see. And I don't suppose you have any concrete information or leads as a result of your investigation so far." He turned his attention to Elena. "Elena, report."

It was an easy feat for her. She was used to doing this. Within five minutes, Tseng had the entire account of both the troubles at the theater and the incident with his rookies. He also had info on all her leads and her own analysis and thoughts on the matter. Tseng gave her a satisfied smile before turning his attention back to the rookies.

"That is a proper report. By the way, I know you both were told that we had a contact here, so I'm rather curious why you didn't immediately try and seek them out."

"We didn't expect it to be some girl."

Elena bit her lip to keep from giggling. Not that it would impede what Tseng was trying to do here, but it wasn't very professional, even if she wasn't a Turk any more. Of course, when she had been a Turk, Tseng wouldn't have wrapped his arm around her like he was doing now. She leaned against his shoulder as he continued dressing down the rookies. Most of the other dancers were also sitting back and watching the show.

"But she's just a pretty girl," one of the rookies protested. "How were we to guess she'd know anything?"

Tseng just rolled his eyes and looked heavenward before answering. "Elena is a Turk even if she isn't on ShinRa's payroll any more. You two are rookies on probation who will be lucky if you ever are half the Turk Elena is. Now, thanks to her, we have some leads to follow up on, and I'm sure the dancers would like their studio back."

He waved the rookies out of the room before leaning in and kissing her lightly. "Thanks, Elena. We should have things wrapped up quickly."

She just shrugged. "Not a problem."

Tseng smiled. "Dinner tonight?"

"Sure."

"I'll pick you up after work."

It wasn't long before the Turks were a familiar presence at the theater. The rookies were rather subdued upon their return, but Reno and Rude were the same as ever. Elena found herself being kept in the loop about the investigation. The Turks had a pair of suspects and were working on drawing them out. But Elena's main focus was on her dancing as opening night loomed closer. Still, in a lot of ways it was very much like when she had been a Turk, and Elena had missed it. She might have made friends among the other dancers, but it really wasn't the same as the camaraderie she had shared with Reno and Rude.

The final dress rehearsal started out well. Things went fine until the middle of the second act. Then several things happened at once. Half the set came crashing down. The lead's understudy tried to shoot the lead, and Elena executed a perfect spin kick in the middle of a major dance, knocking the gun out of the woman's hand. By the time Reno appeared on stage, Elena had already subdued the woman. Reno smirked at her.

"Good work, Laney. Tseng and Rude have her minions. The rookies are tripping over their own feet style."

Elena smiled and let him deal with the prisoner. The director cleared his throat. "Can we get back to work now?"

The rest of the dress rehearsal went well, and when opening night went flawlessly, Elena was more than pleased. Especially since the play had been soundly hailed as a success. She attended the party afterwards on Tseng's arm in a stunning dressing and enjoyed herself greatly. What was more, Tseng had made known to her an offer of employment. She might not be on the books as a Turk, but her help with recent events had convinced Rufus of finding a way to retain her services. So Elena would get to keep the job she enjoyed, and it didn't hurt that she would be keeping her partner as well. Unofficially, but Elena could live with that. So it was with a smile and light heart that she accepted his offer to escort her home from the party, and Elena was content to let the future play out as it would.


	29. Drown Me in Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 29: Mystery.

**Drown Me in Love**

In hindsight, Elena should have realized that something like this was possible, even likely to happen. As much as she had wanted to avoid her own past, Elena knew that it often wasn't possible. But she had worked hard to put it behind her, and she hadn't wanted to be confronted with it again. Especially not like this. Not in the course of her duties. Elena Evans was a Turk. She was strong, competent, and professional. The problem was she hadn't always been Elena Evans. And Elena Arrens still remembered Davis Marston and what he had done to her.

He hadn't recognized her yet. Elena was hoping that he wouldn't at all. She had changed a great deal from the time she was fourteen until now. Part of that change had been deliberate. She was also doing her best not to react in order to keep from tipping him off. But to tell the truth, Tseng's presence beside her was the only thing keeping her from panicking. Her partner had known her full history long before they shared a bed, and he would have recognized Marston by name though not by sight.

The meeting was pure torture for Elena. She was extremely grateful that all she had to do was stand there and look impressive. This business meeting was unlikely to erupt in violence. Especially since Rude had checked the visitors for weapons before they had been allowed inside the meeting room. Still, she was forced to be in the same room with that man without betraying her terror or doing anything about him for nearly two hours. But the worst came towards the end of the meeting. Marston had smiled and made a request of Rufus.

"I understand your Turks have a knack for finding people when necessary. I was rather hoping they could help me find a young lady that I misplaced several years back. We were engaged to be married as soon as she was old enough. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding, and I haven't seen her in years. The mystery of her disappearance has bothered me constantly."

Elena's fingernails bit into her hands in an attempt to keep her fear and fury from showing. Marston didn't seem to notice.

"Perhaps. But my Turks often have a full schedule as things are right now." Rufus' answer was none committal.

There were more pleasantries, but finally Marston left. And that was when reaction started to set in. Thankfully, Rufus had just left for his office, escorted by Reno and Rude, when Elena started shaking. Tseng's hand came to rest on the small of her back.

"My office. Now."

Elena bit her lips. Her entire body was actually shaking. It was both fear and fury. The fury was at both herself and at him. She had been in the same room as Davis Marston for the first time in years, and she had still been terrified of him. She as an adult now, and she had faced down far worse monsters than the man her family had engaged her to without her consent. She had been in the same room as the man who had nearly beaten her to death and had planned on raping her until she was pregnant, and she had done nothing except be afraid. And she was still completely terrified. She was a Turk. She shouldn't be so afraid.

She hadn't even realized that they had made it to Tseng's office until he pushed her down on the couch. She just sat there staring at her trembling hands. This was not like her. This wasn't the woman she had become, but Elena felt powerless to stop the overwhelming onslaught of her own feelings. Tseng pressed a hot cup of tea and a shot of whisky into her hands.

"Drink both of those." He ordered.

Elena followed those orders automatically. She knocked back the shot before turning her attention to the tea. It didn't escape her notice that by the time she had finished the tea, her hands were steady. Tseng took the cup from her hands and set it aside before kneeling in front on her and cupping her face in his hands.

"He is not going to touch you. He's not going to hurt you, and he's not going to get you back." He gently traced her cheekbone with a finger, his eyes intense. "You're ours now, Elena. You're a Turk. We're not going to let them take you. Remember when you were captured by Don Corneo back when you were a rookie?"

She nodded.

"We barely knew you then, and we got you back. Now you're an integral part of the team. Once a Turk, always a Turk, remember? And there's the fact that we both know you could incapacitate and kill the man without any help from us. Rufus might be a little annoyed, but he'd get over it."

That coaxed a small smile to her lips.

"You're not a scared teenager any more who ran to save her life. I know seeing him again startled you. But you're not that young girl, and he has no power over you now. Unless you give it to him, and you're too good of a Turk to do that." His expression was proud. "Elena Arrens the innocent fourteen year old heiress has been gone for years now. In her place stands Elena Evans, a Turk who has fought, survived, and won. A successful, intelligent, strong woman who breaks bones as easily as she dances."

He pulled her to her feet and into his arms. Tseng leaned in and covered her lips with his own. She was breathless when he pulled away, and his eyes were even more intense as well as possessive. A shiver of something far different from fear raced down her spine.

"You're also mine, Elena. By your choice and by mine. And no little rich boy businessman who thought he could buy you once is going to change that." Tseng smiled. "I don't always share well with others. Especially when it comes to you."

There standing in his arms, Elena felt safe. She took a deep breath. She could deal with this, and she wouldn't have to deal with it alone.

"Unfortunately for us, as much as I'd like to take you home right now and remind you of that, we're not off duty yet. So," he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "let's go make sure that Reno doesn't destroy anything important for the rest of the day."

Elena nodded. She had survived Marston's attempts to control her. She had managed to get herself adopted and into the Turk training program. She had become a Turk. And she wasn't alone any more either. Marston might have set her feet on this path with what he'd done to her, but Elena was her own person now, and she wasn't going to give that up. Next time she ran into the man, she wasn't going to let her fears get the better of her. But at least she knew that she wouldn't have to face them alone. She smiled at her partner.

"Yes, sir."


	30. Save the Last Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 20: Scarf.

**Save the Last Dance**

Tseng was not happy about this mission. Well, to be honest, it wasn't so much the mission that he had a problem with as Elena's role in it. As the only female on their team, Elena often got tapped for undercover work. However, they had not had a mission that required her to be in the same position as this one, and while he knew she was a Turk and could take care of herself, the part of him that was her lover was not at all happy.

That was because Elena would be going undercover as an exotic dancer at a club. Tseng had seen her costume already. It consisted mainly of strategically placed scarves of blue and green silk. And it wasn't that he disliked it exactly, he just didn't want anyone else besides him to see Elena in it. But their target had a fondness for both dancers and blonds, and this was the best chance to eliminate the man easily. Even if Tseng didn't like it.

Which explained why he was sitting in the back of the room glowering as he watched the show. Elena had yet to come on stage yet, but it wouldn't be much longer. Their target was already here and seated up front. Tseng glanced around the room checking on Rude who was working as a bouncer and Reno who was subbing for the bartender. He would spike their target's drink just before Elena came out. Once Elena had finished performing, she would offer the man a private show, and that would be Tseng's cue to slip out and head up to the room that had been prepared.

There was a pause in the music and then a burst of applause as Elena stepped out on to the stage. She wore a veil over her face, but Tseng knew that it would be coming off before too long. He took a moment to admire his partner and lover. Elena was a beautiful young woman, and the colors she currently wore suited her quite well. Then the music started, and she began to dance. Tseng did not watch. He had a great deal of self-control, but he wasn't sure how well it would hold up in this instance.

As Elena's music ended, Tseng slipped out of the room and headed upstairs where many of the dancers had rooms for private viewings. The Turks had selected a room at the end of the hallway, so there was only one shared wall, and thankfully, the rooms were well insulated. Tseng swiftly located the kit he had left in the room earlier and prepared the drug cocktail that he would be injecting to their target. Between the drugs and the man's own health problems (which he pretty much ignored rather than treated), their target should be dead very quickly.

It wasn't long before Tseng heard footsteps in the hallway, and then the door began to open. Tseng stepped back into the shadows. Within moments Elena led their target inside, doing her best impression of a giggling idiot. It was entirely clear that the man was completely absorbed with Elena and not noticing much else. Elena darted around the target in order to close and lock the door.

"Now, snookums, we'll have a little fun here to relive the tension, and then you can come home with me and have some more fun."

Elena just smiled and shook her head. "Sorry. I'm going home with him."

"Who?"

Tseng chose that moment to stab the syringe into the target's neck. The man collapsed within minutes with Elena skittering out of his way as he fell. She knelt down to check the man's pulse, and Tseng got a good look at her for the first time since she had come out on stage earlier. Elena was barely clothed. Most of her scarves were missing. He wrapped his coat around her which she accepted with a smile.

"He's dead," she informed him.

It took the two of them very little time to arrange the room appropriately and plant the necessary evidence. When the man's body was found, it would be assumed that his death had been caused by his indulgence in alcohol and drugs. That would neatly solve most of the problems the man had presented in the rebuilding of Midgar, and it would be next to impossible to link with Rufus.

Once that was done, they were free to leave. Rude and Reno would slip out as well sometime tonight, and they would regroup in the morning for a mission debriefing. But for now, Tseng was taking Elena home. Their work was done for the evening, and Tseng was more than ready to leave. He held out a hand to Elena. "Shall we?"

She nodded. "I can't wait to get out of here."

Neither could he. Especially since now that the mission was over, he no longer had to be a competent professional. He was very much looking forward to getting her home and out of that outfit of hers. It was rather distracting, even with his coat over it. Thankfully, the trip back to their shared apartment was not very long. The second he had her inside, Tseng pressed her up against the wall.

"Elena."

She shivered at the sound of his voice, titling her head up with an inviting smile. Tseng pulled her close and trailed kisses down her neck. Elena made a soft noise in the back of her throat, and then wiggled out of his arms with a mischievous smile. She dropped his coat to the floor and stepped back into his arms, looping her own around his neck and kissing him. Elena spoke between kisses. "Bedroom. Now."

Tseng was more than happy to oblige.


End file.
